Hello there! I hope everyone started off a great week! Today, I want to appreciate morning routines.
I have always been an early bird. Well, not always. Always up to the last 1.5 years or so. This is when I started sleeping in for the first time in my life. I assume my body and mind were exhausted from the PhD process as well as other things in life and sleeping in started becoming my happy place. Until it was not.
Then I got a job, moved to a different city, settled in, got a cat. I was exhausted, so I continued sleeping in. But it hit me: no matter how much I sleep, I don’t seem to feel any better. Then I asked myself: what was I doing before that was giving me energy? The answer was clear: morning routine. I LOVED my morning hours and I always felt so good when I spent them well.
So I started building a routine again. It has not been easy after such a long break but I now came close to the morning routine I had before. And honestly, I now am convinced that that is where my joy lies.
What does my morning look like now? This is my happy place:
5.30-6 am: prayers
6-7: am working out or just chilling
7-8 am: reading+playing with my cat+preparing breakfast
8-8.30 am: breakfast
8.30-9 am: get ready for work
9 am: work
What does your morning look like? If you do not have a good routine, would you like to form one? What would that look like?
I usually get up just in time to start work at 6:45 ( I work from home most days)
I eat breakfast like a bagel, coffee and maybe a fruit smoothie around 7:30
Meditation at 9 am for my morning break
That is pretty much my morning, I don’t have a lot of time from getting up to starting work, but I am working to fix that as well, so much better having that little bit of time to yourself before the work day starts.
6.45 is an early start but it looks like you are you are still getting some time for yourself! It is always great to have some time for yourself in the morning!
I agree that a good morning routine can benefit a lot of people.
I used to be really tight on time in the morning. I usually slept until it was late. Because of that I sometimes had to leave brushing my teeth or showering out so I would not be late. I also rushed packing my stuff and forgot something all the time. Paired with me not valuing sleep this lead to me feeling dirty and demotivated.
After setting a fixed bed time and actually planning my morning it got better.
I still think that I can improve my routine but I am proud to be excited about my mornings again.
Just remember the morning sets the mood for the day. So you better spend the time on it.
Agreed! And I want to emphasize your point that a reasonable bed time is vital to be able to set a morning routine!
Working remotely can kill the morning routine: roll out of bed, fire up the laptop. But my morning routine is crucial to the rest of my day. It can make or break my productivity. Thanks for posting.
I work from home 3 times a week and I agree! Unless you consciously make an effort, it is easy to get caught up that way!
I used to be an early bird, but since Covid I have started sleeping longer in the morning and going to bed later in the night. But I still have my morning routine, that is basically preparing my breakfast and getting ready for work (even when I work from home). I postpone my gym to the late afternoon.I found out that t is better for my chronotype, that is “bear” according to the studies of Michael Breus, PhD. Thank you for this inspiring post!
Interesting! What is a chronotype?
Chronotype is the natural inclination of your body to sleep during certain hours and doing things during other hours. For instance, there are people who sleep long in the morning, work better in the afternoon and go to bed late in the night. Check Michael Breus’ website to know more. There is also a test you can take to find out what chronotype you are.
Interesting! Thank you for the info! I will check the website out!
I have seen the term chronotype and identify as having a morningness chronotype. The hours after I wake up are by far the most mentally productive of my day. I am up around 5 to coffee, journaling, reading and my best writing. I have come to understand that my mind is energized by the physical rest of the body and the freedom from the brain and it’s connection with the senses. The at rest mind then can access my subconscious mind which is best utilized before entering the day to day world….Thanks!
My ideal life!
Hi Betul! How are you? Let me know how your family in Turkey is doing after the earthquake. Are they okay? Omg I love your morning routine! I used to be a morning person but im not anymore because im unable of napping or resting later because of my son. However, when my son is at school, I develop a morning routine again and I feel so much better for it. This month has been chaotic, though, so I’ve been sleeping in and like you wrote, it doesn’t make me feel better. It makes me feel lethargic, unproductive, and cranky. Not to mention I woke up today with a migraine that has lasted all day despite my taking medication and trying to nap. My son goes back to school in 2 days so hopefully things will get back on track.
My family is doing ok but we have had a few tough weeks!
It is hard to keep a morning routine with family, but we need to do our best, whatever our best means. Do you have any ideas about how you can make your mornings better, even when your kids are at home?
Staying up after fajr seems to work, as long as I get a nap in later. It’s not always possible, though.
I also realized I don’t do as well if I don’t take an afternoon nap, which I can’t anymore because of my work.
That’s such a relaxing morning routine. I just wrote a blog post on my morning routine as a busy mom. https://andreablossom.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/how-to-create-a-realistic-morning-routine/
It seems to be similar to yours.
Thank you for sharing!